Tank top



Oct. 26, 1948.

Filed Oct. 5, 1944 F. L. PLUMM ER TANK, TOP

3 sheets-sheet 41 ATTORNEXl Get. 26, 3943. F. L.. PLUMMER 2,452,146

TANK TOP Filed Oct. 5, 1944 5 Sheets-Shea?l 2 3l 32 v y 32 3| 2a@- ma i5 3o 24 d 24 3o I l5 1|* v T /1 v I 29 25 l 29 I4 I9 l I9 I4 22 2'/ nu l 22 f" I I l5 2? 23 i #JL 27 IZX *I7 y INVENTOR-y lc F/G. 4. FRED L'. PLUMMER BY v ATTORNEY Oct. 26, 1948. F, L. PLUMMER 2,452,146

" TANK TOP Filed oct. 5, 1944 l s'shegts-sheet 5 INVENTOR.-

-FRED L. PLUMMER, BY

ATTORNEY cage around a guide post. In this instance the spaces between the vertical members of the cage structure represent the vertical slots for the passage through which the stationary guy wires may extend.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which with the foregoing will be set forth in the following description. In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identied by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. In the accompanying drawings there has been illustrated the best embodiment of the invention known to me, but such embodiment is to be regarded as typical only of many possible embodiments, and the invention is not to be limited thereto.

The novel features considered characteristic of my invention are set Aforth ,with particularity in theappended claims. yThe invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and .advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a speciiic embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top view upon the tank with the cover partially broken away.

Fig. 2 is a part sectional side view of the tank shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view of the tank similar to that in Fig. 2, however diagrammatic, showing the cover in its lower-most position.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view similar to that in Fig. 3, however showing the cover in an elevated position.

Figs. 5, 6, '7, 8, and 9 show structural details of one embodiment of the guide device.

The tank construction as herein shown (see Figs. 1 and 2) comprises a tank or container I!! propergand a vertically movable roof or cover I I.

The tank I comprises a bottom portion I2 and an upstanding circular wall portion I3 having an annular trough I4 to hold a sealing liquid in the Post to anchoring points 20 on the tank wall.

The post I1 is surrounded by a sleeve-like guide member 2| herein more specically shown as a cage-like construction which `is unitary and movable with the cover |I and braced against bending moments as by guy wires 212 radiating from an annular element 23 at the lower end portion of the guide member 2| lto, anchoring points Zia along the margin of the cover II. Intermediate shorter guy wires.24 radiate from an annular member 25 atan intermediate point of guide member 2| to intermediate anchoring points 23 on the cover II.

Within the tank I is provided` an internal bracing frame or structure 21 serving a dual purpose to be presently explained. This frame 21 serves as a stop means for supporting the cover when in its lower limit position. The structure 21 is shown to comprise six posts 28 disposed at the corners of a hexagon and rigidly connected with one another by means of tie beams or members 29 constituting a hexagonal frame F as clearly shown in the plan view of Fig. 1. The hexagonal frame F in turn is braced against the tank wall as by radially disposed beams or tie members 33 two of which connect each beam 29 rigidly with the tank wall as at 29a. In this way the structure 21 not only serves to support the cover Ii in its lower limitl position, but also as an internal bracing frame for the tank wall to enable it to absorb without undue stress the tension forces from the guy wires I9 when a tilting moment is imposed upon the cover II.

Referring more specifically to the structural details of Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, the cover I I cornprises plate Si of shallow conical shape reinforced at the underside by radially extending ribs in the form of I-beams 32 which may be welded to the plate. A hole 33 in the plate 3|, that is at the apex of the cone shape, is closed by a round plate or patch 34 on top, and shown to have radial slots 35 to serve aswelding spots. A round plate 33 underneath acts as a reinforcement and is welded to the beams 32.

The guide member 2| in this embodiment comprises four vertical and rigidly interconnected component elements in form of angle irons 31 disposed so as to constitute the corner portions of a box-like cage construction which is square in cross-section. Thev angle irons 31 are spaced from one another a distance d providing in effect longitudinal vertical slots S through which may extend and in which may operate the stationary guy wires I9.

At their upper end the angle irons 31 are welded to the plate 36 to make a firm connection with cover plate. At their lower end the angle irons 31 are rigidly connected with one another by means of an annular member in a broad sense, namely, by a pair of angle irons 38 and a pair of angle irons 39 (see Fig. 8) fastened to the angle irons 3l'. Vertical tabs or rib portions All are welded to the angle irons 33 and 39, to which in turn are welded the guy wires 22. The shorter guy wires 24 have their lower ends anchored in a similar manner so that cross-sections 8 8 and 31-81 (see Fig. 5) become identical (see identical Figs. 8 and 81) The stationary post I1 in this embodiment is in the form of a wide iiange I-beam prole 40 having a pair of flanges 4I and 42, and a web 43. As herein shown the outer faces of the anges present a pair of vertical parallel guidel faces #IIB and 423, while the web presents a pair of guide faces 43a and 43h. Accordingly the surrounding guide member 2| is provided with antifriction roller devices at the upper as well as at the lower end. Since the upper is identical to the lower anti-friction device, one cross-sectional View (Fig. 9) suiices for both. The device comprises two pairs of rollers, one pair of rollers 6.4 and 45 engaging the vertical guide faces II and 42a respectively, each roller being journalled in a pair of brackets 44a and 45a respectively, which brackets are fastened to a pair of associated vertical angle irons 31. In this way the rollers 44 and 45 extend through the spaces between the angle irons 31, which spaces also provide the slots to accommodate the stationary guy wires I9. The guy wires I9 are not directly fastened to the post 4I)a but (see Fig. 7) by way of one pair of plates 43h for anchoring one pair of guy wires and another pair of plates 40 for anchoring two pairs of guy wires. The plates are shown to be welded to the post, while the guy wires in turn are welded to the plates IIIb and 4l!c respectively.

A second pair of rollers 46 and 41 engage the vertical guide faces 43a and 43h, each roller being journalled in a pair of brackets 48 and 49 respectively. These brackets differ somewhat from the brackets 44a and 459L in that they extend inwardly through the spaces S between the vertical angle irons 31, so asto bring the rollers into engagement with the faces of the web 43. The brackets 4494 and 45a are fastened to a pair of associated vertical angle irons 31.

The Figs. 3 and 4 represent the tank construction of Fig. 1 in diagrammatic fashion, in order to facilitate the understanding of the stressesbending, tilting, and anti-tilting moments-which may be imposed upon the structure. Hence, as an important dimension, these figures also indicate the length L of the effective vertical distance between the upper and the lower anti-friction roller device, since the guiding eillciency is proportionate to the length of that distance.

I claim:

1. A tank construction having a tank, a cover vertically movable in sealing relationship with the tank providing a variable gas-holding space, and means for stabilizing the cover during its vertical movement comprising a stationary guide member upstanding in the tank, a movable guide member carried by the cover and having telescopic engagement with the stationary guide member whereby one of said guide members becomes the surrounding one and the other guide member becomes the surrounded one, the surrounded guide member having a iirst pair of vertical guide faces parallel to and opposing each other as well as a second pair of vertical guide faces parallel to and opposing each other extending at right angles to said rst pair of guide faces, the surrounding guide member having vertical openings adapted to have extend therethrough radial stay members hereinafter defined, a first set of stay members cover, the stay members of the surrounded guide member to the tank wall, a second set of stay members extending radially from the movable guide member t0 the marginal portion of the cover, the stay members of the surrounded guide member extending through the vertical openings of the surrounding guide member, a first set comprising an upper and a lower pair of anti-friction rollers mounted upon the surrounding guide member and engaging said irst pair 0f guide faces, and a second set comprising an upper and a lower pair of anti-friction rollers mounted upon the surrounding guide member and engaging said second pair of guide faces.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the surrounded guide member is a structural I-beam shape in which the faces of the web portions of the I-shape present said i'lrst pair of guide faces, and the outer faces of the ange portions of the I-shape present said second pair of guide faces.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the surrounded guide member is a structural I-beam shape in which the faces of the web portions of the I-shape present said first pair of guide faces, and the outer faces of the flange portions of the I-shape present said second pair of guide faces, and in which the surrounding guide member comprises vertically extending angle irons disposed to form the four corners of a box-shape and spaced fro-m one another to provide said vertical openings, a pair of opposed sides of the box-shape being parallel to a pair of opposed guide faces.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the surrounding guide member comprises vertically extending angle irons disposed to form the four corners of a box shape and spaced from one another to provide said vertical openings, a pair of opposed sides of the box-shape being parallel to a pair of opposed guide faces.

FRED L. PLUMMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 628,868 Strom July 11, 1899 1,060,643 Smith May 6, 1913 1,851,158 Day Mar. 29, 1932 2,091,631 Fischer et al Aug. 31, 1937 

